Spatiotemporal variability of runoff using fractal dimension in the Weihe River Basin

Abstract

The paper studies the characteristics of runoff which can provide the basis for rational development and utilization of water resources in the Weihe River Basin (WRB). In this paper, sixteen typical hydrological stations in the WRB are selected, including six stations in the mainstream, eight in the south bank and two in the north bank of WRB. The ArcGIS and the Hawth’s Analysis Tools are used to calculate the fractal dimensions of the hydrological stations. The variations of annual and monthly runoff for stations are investigated using the fractal dimension during 1956-2015 in the WRB. The differences of fractal dimensions between the mainstream and the main tributaries located at the south bank and the north bank are compared. The results show that the runoff fractal dimension varies for different stations and months. In the WRB, the maximum monthly runoff fractal dimensions of stations are mainly in the flood season (June to October) and the minimum are mainly in the dry season (December to March). The fractal dimensions of stations in the mainstream are smaller than those in the south bank, and the fractal dimensions in the north bank are smaller than those in the south bank of the WRB. Especially, in the mainstream of the WRB, the fractal dimensions of stations in the midstream are the largest, followed by downstream and upstream. In the north bank of the WRB, the fractal dimension of Zhangjiashan station in the Jinghe River Basin is larger than Zhuangtou station in the Beiluohe River.